Hot-water heater



' -1,650,612 U. R. DENNISTON HOT WATER HEATER Filed April 28. 1926' Patented New. 29,

rea starts sesame Pewter erra a,

carers a. nnnnrs'ron. or iram onD, INDIANA.

. nor-WATER H ATER.

Applicationfiled Apri1 28, 1925. Serial no. 105,094.

This invention relates tdhot water heat ers, and its principal obyectis to PFOVlClt-B an apparatus having certain novel features for heating water with heat created by friction between relatively movable contacting discs. It has been proposed heretofore, to heat water with the heat created by the friction between stationary and movable discs, but the principal difficultyencountered in a device of this kind is the wear and tear onthe discs, due to the excessive friction between them. One of the objectsof the present ndiscs therein and spaced away from the circular wall of the casing to leave a Water heating chamber, and having an oil reservoir, and an oil pipe connecting therescrvoir with the casing, whereby a body of oil ma be maintained in said casin above the vwater level therein and incontact with the' discs. The invention consists in several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed. 7

The invention isclearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying this specification, in which: i a

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hot/water heater embodying a simple form of the present invention; Fig.2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the hot water heater and showing fragments of a hot water heating system connected therewith; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of the hot water heater taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail cross section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail cross section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2. Referring to said drawing, which illustrates a simple embodiment of the present invention, the reference character 6 designates the casing ofthe heater which in the present instance comprises a circular wall 7, and two heads or side walls 8, 9. The casing is provided with a suitable base 10 which may be formed as a part ofthe wall 7 Conveniently the sidewalls 8, 9, may be made separate from the cylindrical wall 7 and be bolted or, otherwise secured thereto as is found desirable.

Journaled in bearings 11 mounted on the side walls8, 9, is a drive shaft'12, which extends through the casing from side .to side: The-shaftmay be driven from'any suitable source of power and as shownit is driven from-a motor driven shaft 13 journaled in bearing brackets 14,-, and having a worn' pin on 15 secured upon it, which meshes with a worm gear wheel 16 keyed or.

otherwisesecured to the drive shaft 12. The

form of gearingjust vdescribed is not ma terial to this invention broadly considered, but is illustrative of one type of gearing which may be used satisfactorily.

Mounted on the shaft 12within the casing 6 are rotatory discs 17, which are spaced apart and receive stationary discs 18: between them. The rotatory discs 17 are-.se,- cured upon the shaft 12 by feathers, splines or the like 19, which are secured in key ways in-the shaft 12 and enter notches formedin the rotatory discs 17. This arrangement is preferable since it permits the rotatable discs to be shifted along the shaft.

The stationary d1scs18 are formedwith centrally located openings 20, within which the shaft and itsfeathers or splines are free torotate, and the said stationary discs are mounted upon rods 21 which are located in the annular space between the discs 17, 18

and the casing. The stationary discs may be formed with perforated ears or'lugs. 22 which receive the rods Means are provided for holding the. discs in frictional contact with each other, and as shown a number of coiled vcompression springs 23 are employed for this purpose, which springs are contained in hollow bosses 24 and bear against plungers 25, which plungers bear against the adjacent or enclmost stationary disc 18. The other endsof the springs 23 bear againstthreaded plugs or blocks 26 which are threadedly secured in the hollowbosses 24: and provide means for adjusting the tension. of the springs 23 whereby more or less frictional contact bebe supplied with hot water. The cold water return pipe 31' from the system, connects with the cold water inlet member 27. As is usual in connection with hot water "plants,

.5 an overflow tank (not shown) is provided which would ordinarily occur without sufli- 'cient lubrication, I provide an oil tank or reservoir 33andiconnect it to'the top of the casing 6by an 'oil pipe '34. The oil tank or reservoir 33fis'a closed tank and, may contain affiller open] at its top which is closed by ascrew'plug 35. In order to obtain the best results, sufiicient oil should be contained in the apparatus so that when in operation, aconsiderable portion of the upper halves of the discs will be above the lower level of the oil. This level is maintained by the water level which is illustrated by. the dotted line 36'. Above the water level36 is an oil gauge or a drain cock 37 by which an attendant may ascertain when the oil in the'casingbe'comes less than is 3 necessary for the perfect operation of the device, and this may be done by opening the oil gauge or drain cock, and if water "escapes therefrom 'it is known that the oil in "the tanker reservoir 33 should be replenished.

Forthe purpose of facilitating the lubrication .of the discs, oil grooves or channels 38 may be formed in the'sides of the discs, preferably inthe sides of the rotatory discs, "whieh' oil" grooves open out through the edges of the discs and permit of the entrance of oil into the grooves, from which it is distributed along the faces of the adjacent' discs during rotation of'the rotatory 9 discs.

v In the operation of the apparatus, rotation of the shaft12 at a fairly rapid rate of speed, creates friction betweenthe rotatory and stationary discs, and the discs become hot as a consequence, which heat is conducted to the water contained 1n the annular heating chamber around the discs.

The heated water circulates through the hot water system, as is well understood, and the cold waterreturns to the heater through the returnpipe 31. The oil being trapped between the water in the casing and the closed a'tank, presents a body of lubricating eil to the discsand-lubricates them sufficiently to prevent excessive abrasion, thereby prolonging their lives without materially reducing "the heating effect of the discs.

Oil enters the grooves 38 of the discs and is distributed over the surface ofthe discs. As the oil disappears from usage the water level in the casing rises and the attendant can determine steam.

More or less variation ofthe exact details of construction is possible without'de )arting from the spirit ofthis invention; sire, therefore, not to limit myself to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, in the following closed herein. v

I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. 'A friction heat apparatus, comprising in combination, a cylindrical casing having a coldwater inlet anda hot water outlet, spaced discs stationarily mounted in said casingg'a drive shaft journaled in said casing, spaced rotatory discs mounted on said shaft and extending between said stationary discs, pressure 7 means applied to said discs, there beingan annular lieating' space between the cylindrical wall of the casing and discs, an oil reservoir and an oil pipe conclaims, to point out all of the invention dis- V necting said oil reservoir with the annular" stantly supply oil to said discs.

2. A. friction heat apparatus, comprising chamber in said casin and'arranged to'COnin combination, a cylindrical casing having a'. cold water inlet and a hot water outlet,

shaft and extending between said stationary I discs, pressure means applied to said discs,

there being an annular heating chamber be tween the cylindrical wall of the casing and discs, a closed oil reservoir located above said casing, and an oil pipe'connecting said oil reservoir with theflheating chamber at the top of the casing and arrangedto constantly supply oil to said discs.

3. A friction heat apparatus, comprising in combination, a casing having a' cold water inlet and a hot water outlet, a driveshaft journa'led in said casing, alternate stationary discs, stationarily mounted in said easing, and intermediate rotatory discs mounted on said drive shaft, pressure means applied to said discs for holding them in frictional contact, there being an annular heata drive shaft journaled in said casing, alter nate stationary discs, stationarily mounted in said casmg and COELXlZLllY with said shatt,

said discs having central holes through which said shaft freely; passes, intermediate rotatory discs mounted on said driveshaiit,

pressure means applied to said discs for holding them in frictional contact, there being an annular heating chamber between the $1) casing and discs, the major portion of Which comprises a Water chamber, and the upper portion of which comprises an oil chant her, an oil reservoir and a pipe connecting said oil reservoir with said oil chamber of the casing, Wherebyoil issupplied to said discs.

5. In a frletion heat apparatus, a casing having a cold Water inlet and a hot Water outlet,alternate stationary and intermediate rotatory discs 1n said cas ng, anda drive shaft upon which the rotatory discs are slidably mounted, there being an annular chamber between the casing and discs for the re- 'ceptionot' Water and oil, and certain of the discs being formed with oil grooves intheir faces, an oil reservoir and pipe connecting said oil reservoir With the top of said annular chamber.

URIAH R. DENNISTLON. 

